


34. Promise

by parka_girl



Category: Block B, Infinite (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 15:31:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1309915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parka_girl/pseuds/parka_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Myungsu's life is one lie after another, until Taeil sees through them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	34. Promise

Myungsu kept his secrets close. He didn't like letting anyone in, because that meant he might get close and he needed distance between people and his secrets. His parents wanted him to have friends, to bring them over for dinner, but Myungsu had long since stopped being that kind of child. There were people he knew, people he talked to, at school. But never outside of school. He didn't want his friends to know what kind of family he was from. 

His parents meant well, they always did. It's why he went to school near his home, instead of private school, like the children of his parents' colleagues. He was to be educated like the rest of the teaming masses. No special treatment. He had to walk to school, like everyone else. But try as they might, his parents couldn't hide who they were. Or, really, how much money they had. At first, when he was little, none of this meant anything to Myungsu. 

He was always invited to sleepovers and birthday parties. He never had any sleepovers and his birthday parties were always at restaurants, never at his house. It wasn't until he was ten that he figured it out. He'd finally made an actual friend, a boy in his grade. They'd gotten as close to Myungsu's house as the front gate when he looked at Myungsu with disgust on his face. 

"You live HERE?" He'd said. 

Myungsu had stared at him, confused. 

"You can't live here, you go to our school." He stated, then turned and stared Myungsu down. "I can't believe you'd try this." He'd huffed and then walked off. They were still in school together, but had never spoken again. 

The next day Myungsu had expected rumors to be spread, but nothing had. And that's when he realized that where he lived, all the money he had, he needed to keep it a secret. Even if people wouldn't believe him, they might and then where would he be. Myungsu shut himself off from everyone else, not that his parents noticed, and started to focus on school. 

He wanted to do well. He wanted to escape the world his parents had created for him. If it meant good grades, enlisting immediately upon graduation and then college, later, so be it. He'd met the kids, who he could've been friends with, of his parents' friends and he didn't want to be like them. He didn't want to be like the kids in his school, either. 

Now he's 18 and about to graduate. He'd made it this far without friends. He wasn't ready to enlist, but he didn't want to go to college, either. He wasn't ready for that. But he still took the after school cram courses, because what else was he going to do. Not that he needed them. So he quit going and started working. not that he needed money, either. But he needed something to do. Anything. Away from his parents, away from the people at school. 

Taeil was two years older and he'd been working at the bookstore since he'd gotten out of the military. He'd done civil service, something Myungsu knew he could get, if he asked. But he wouldn't. Taeil didn't treat him different than anyone else at the bookstore. Neither did their boss, either. Taeil ran the checkout and Myungsu kept the shelves full and answered occasional questions. 

"Myungsu!" He hear Taeil calling his name and turned. 

"Yeah?" 

Taeil was leaning across the counter and grinning, his eyes sparkling behind his too-big glasses. Myungsu arched an eyebrow at him and Taeil laughed. 

"You busy tonight?" He asked. 

Myungsu thought about it. Was he busy? He sighed, he was never busy. He could be, with school or imaginary friends, but those were all lies. "No." He decided on the truth. 

"Good." Taeil paused to help a pretty young woman check out and then looked over at Myungsu. "We're going out."

"We?" Myungsu asked, carrying a box of candy to the front of the story. He set about refilling the baskets in front of Taeil's cash register. 

"Yeah. You, me, the boss and the two day girls." 

Myungsu looked up, surprised. 

Taeil shrugged. "Maybe you'll start calling me hyung if we get enough alcohol in you." 

Myungsu had no reply to that, instead he just filled the baskets and disappeared into the back. He tried to come up with an excuse, something believable. Maybe a family emergency. Or a friend in trouble. The lies were right there in front of him, but he didn't think he had it in him to lie one more time. It was hard enough convincing his parents that he was going to cram school when he was really going to work. 

He looked at his watch. The store closed in an hour. He had that much time to come up with an excuse. And, an hour later, he'd drawn a blank. He resigned himself to forced socialization, there was nothing he could do about it. Plus, he had to be able to fake it in the real world, he might as well get a head start now. 

Taeil was waiting for him after they'd finishing locked the store up. The boss had his van and they piled into the back. Taeil and the boss chatting, it was the most animated Myungsu had seen Taeil the whole three months they'd worked together. They picked the girls up and then drove through a part of the city Myungsu wasn't familiar with. 

They pulled up at the restaurant, one that Myungsu had heard about, but had never been to. Myungsu pulled out his phone, nothing from his parents. They wouldn't expect him for another ten minutes anyway and he'd be surprised if they even noticed he wasn't home. He turned his attention back to his coworkers and followed them as they filed into the restaurant. 

He looked around, it was nice, but not fancy. He was glad, but worried because it was someplace his classmates might go. But a quick glance at the crowd revealed that there was no one he knew. He sat down, next to Taeil, with an inward sigh of relief. He ate what was served and drank water until someone brought Soju out. He drank it sometimes at stuffy parties with the offspring of his parents' friends, people he was supposed to be friends with. But he didn't drink it often and it went to his head. 

It didn't take long for him to feel the effects of the alcohol. He was filled with a fuzzy feeling and found things funnier than he had earlier in the night. The girls' giggling was amusing, not annoying, and his boss' jokes were bad, but strangely hilarious. Whenever Taeil's arm brushed his, it sent sparks down his spine. And when Taeil wrapped an arm around him, Myungsu found himself almost snuggling against him. It was almost like having friends, he thought. 

Only maybe he hadn't thought it. Maybe he'd said it. Or not. The girls weren't paying him any mind and their boss had gone off to the bathroom. It was only Taeil who'd heard it. He'd stiffened and Myungsu pulled away. He looked around, avoiding Taeil's gaze. He pushed his chair back and excused himself. He walked out of the restaurant and into the chilly night air. He cursed silently, wishing he'd brought his jacket, it was still on his chair. He wrapped his arms around himself. 

"Cold?" He heard a voice, Taeil's. He turned. Taeil was holding his jacket. 

"Trying to get rid of me?" Myungsu asked, trying for funny but somehow hurt found it's way into his voice. 

Taeil didn't answer, instead he walked over at draped the jacket over Myungsu's shoulders and then stood in front of him. "Why do you lie so much?" Taeil said, rubbing warmth into Myungsu's shoulders. 

Myungsu was stunned, he didn't know what to say. 

Taeil, seemingly not even expecting an answer, went on. "I mean, we all have our secrets. But you ... Your whole life is one giant one. You lie about everything. Except for tonight. You really weren't busy."

Myungsu looked away. He wanted to pull away, but he didn't. Taeil's hands dropped from his arms and Myungsu turned back. Taeil was rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers, his glasses in his other hand. Myungsu had never noticed how beautiful Taeil was. He was still staring when Taeil put his glasses back on. 

"I'll tell you a secret about me if you tell you one of yours." Taeil offered. 

Myungsu stepped back, but Taeil grabbed his wrist. 

"It'll feel better, I promise." 

"I feel fine." Myungsu said, but they both knew he was lying. It was an easy lie, like all the others. 

Taeil studied him and dropped his hand from Myungsu's wrist. "I like boys." He said, suddenly. 

Myungsu stared, startled. "What?" 

"My secret. Your turn." Taeil looked almost scared, as if he couldn't believe he'd said it, but there was something else on his face, too. Determination. 

"I ... I don't ..." Myungsu started, then stopped. He wrung his hands together, then let them fall to his sides. "I don't have any friends." 

"You have us." Taeil's reply was immediate. 

"You're coworkers." 

"Friends." 

Myungsu stared at him. He felt tears prickle behind his eyes, he turned away. He felt Taeil step in closer, felt Taeil's hand slide into his. 

"I promise you, we're your friends." Taeil's voice was soft. 

Myungsu's fingers curled around Taeil's. It gave him courage. "Everything about me is a lie." 

"Why not try something different?" Taeil stepping in closer. Myungsu turned and looked at him, then away. They were alone on the street. No one was coming out to look for them. It was just the two of them. 

"Like?" Myungsu was studying Taeil now, his mouth, the curve of his jaw. He'd never been interested in boys before. Or girls. Or, no. He stopped. He'd never let himself be. That meant getting close. And he never did. 

Taeil stepped in and Myungsu knew Taeil was going to kiss him before Taeil did it. And he could've stopped it. He could've pushed Taeil away. But he didn't. Instead, he kissed him back. He felt Taeil's hand against the back of his neck, his mouth against Myungsu's own. And he liked it. 

"I don't ..." He whispered. 

"Don't what?" Taeil replied, teeth dragging a little against Myungsu's bottom lip before pulling back. 

"I don't know how to do this." Which wasn't what Myungsu was going to say, but it was there. 

"Kissing or ... the whole being friends thing?" 

Myungsu almost laughed. "The latter." His voice was a hoarse whisper. 

Taeil leaned in and kissed Myungsu again. "It's okay. I do."


End file.
